Among professing believers, there is a danger of being misled by the sound of certain expressions from Scripture without ascertaining their true meaning. In their mistaken zeal for the integrity and authority of Scripture, many suppose it would be a perversion of Scripture to place a different meaning upon what appears to be its obvious meaning. The following verses are examples: “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever” (John 6:51 NASB). “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38 NASB). “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38 NASB). All Scripture requires interpretation, and when the Scriptures are handled correctly there is harmony.

Every true student of the inspired Scriptures knows that every denomination has its “pig-trail” (worn path) through the Bible. Therefore, by the time they get through presenting their program, they have little time left to even reconsider their own “pig-trail.” They may talk about Biblical authority, but such authority in conversation is not the same as Biblical authority in practice. Most assembly members know more about their denominational program than they do their denominational “pig-trail” doctrinal stance. To argue about the Bible being authoritative but not to be able to agree on what it says is self-defeating, as far as doctrine is concerned. Let us be honest in saying there is no unanimity on basic Biblical principles in professing Christendom. Unanimity in doctrinal principles in professing Christendom is unheard of in these apostate times. Furthermore, it is a fact that there never will be perfect unanimity of mind on every Biblical subject until imperfect Christians are perfected in eternity. However, that is no excuse for Christians not to make an effort to find out what the main problem is in professing Christendom. Some are saying the problems are hermeneutical.

Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. Therefore, the literal, grammatical interpretation of Scripture must be observed to obtain a correct understanding of Biblical truth. The term literal is to be understood by the customary rules of grammar and rhetoric—the study of the effective use of language. Concerning the term literal, each word is to be taken in its simplest, literal significance, unless the wording, context, or other related passages of Scripture make clear that it is to be understood otherwise. “Jesus Christ is the Son of God” is literal; but “Christ is the Lamb of God” is not literal.

The term grammatical, aided by the historical and rhetorical, opposes the mystical, which claims to be guided by an inward light which discards the rules of grammar and the common use of words. We constantly hear statements such as “God spoke to me about that verse”; “God gave me a prophecy”; “I have a word from God for you”; etc. The only answer for such people is to let them know that such statements are subjective and cannot be proved to be true. Since they cannot prove the validity of their statements, they must be considered invalid—without foundation or indefensible. God does not have prophets or apostles today as in time past. The primary qualification of an apostle is to have seen Jesus Christ in Person (I Cor. 9:1). This was true even in the selection of the one who took the place of Judas.

The rhetorical idea of interpretation deals with the study of the effective use of language. In order for any language to be effective, that language has to be translated into the language with which a person is conversant (familiar). This is demonstrated by Paul in I Corinthians 14:27 and 28—“If any one speaks in a tongue [glossa, language or utterance], it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret; but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church [assembly]; and let him speak to himself and to God” (NASB).

There are some who say the problem is exegetical. Exegesis is the critical (skillful judgment as to truth) interpretation. Therefore, Christians are not only to learn Scripture, but they are to analyze the Scriptures which they are constantly adding to their storehouse of knowledge. Here is not only where believers fail, but it is where most preachers fall short. It is very time consuming.

The following are quotes from “faith healers”:
1. “Our attitude toward sickness should be the same as our attitude toward sin.”
2. “Sin and sickness have passed from me to Calvary; salvation and health have passed from Calvary to me.”
3. “Why should not the last Adam take away all the first Adam brought upon us? How can God justify us and at the same time require us to remain under the curse from which He redeemed us?”
4. “In the same way that we receive the first fruits of our spiritual salvation, we can receive the first fruits of our physical salvation.”
5. “The apostle tells us ‘He (Christ) was made sin for us who knew no sin (of His own).’ Likewise, He has made Him sick (for us) who knew no sickness (of His own).”
6. “We have in the command of James 5:14 a positive ordinance of healing in Christ's name, as sacred and binding upon every church today as the ordinance of the Lord's Supper and of Christian baptism.”

An unavoidable conclusion of the misguided “faith healers” is that their salvation of the soul is like the healing of the body. You might have either one today and lose it tomorrow. However, the Bible teaches that when redemption is applied to either soul or body, it is complete and forever. The thing that many religionists do not understand is the fact that the redemption of the body does not take place when one is born of the Spirit. Paul said to the Roman Christians, “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Rom. 8:22-25 NASB).

The Bible teaches that when the redemptive work of Jesus Christ is applied to either soul or body, it is complete for time and eternity. Therefore, we have some unavoidable conclusions that cannot be ignored. Nothing disturbs religionists more than to be asked questions to which they cannot give clear-cut answers. It is true that every spiritual blessing comes to us from the redemption that was accomplished by Christ on the cross; but let us not forget that this work covers the kingdom, which is future, and our glorified bodies, which are future. Therefore, we must conclude that the full blessings of Calvary are not yet realized and will not be until it can be said, “It is done” (Rev. 21:6 NASB). If we were enjoying the full blessing of accomplished redemption now, we would be enjoying heaven on earth. Is there anyone so foolish to think that present-day conditions correspond to the Bible description of the coming kingdom?

Christ's redemptive work is absolutely perfect and finished Godward; He is the propitiation for our sins. However, its application to our bodies remains yet to be applied to all of God’s chosen ones. This proves that Christ did not bear sickness in the same sense that He did for the sins of the elect. If we can find one case in Scripture where a Christian was allowed to be sick and was not healed, then the whole theory of “dual atonement” falls without support. It is evident that Paul knew nothing about such a doctrine. He said to the Corinthians, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For [gar is used here as a subordinating conjunction—what has been said is of less importance than what is about to be announced] we know [perfect active indicative of oida, meaning completed action with continuing results as it considers both ends of the action] that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Cor. 4:16-5:1 NASB). Read Paul's personal testimony in II Corinthians 12:5-13.

Paul said to the Romans, “And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11 NASB). The apostle said to the Corinthians, “The last enemy that will be abolished is death” (I Cor. 15:26 NASB). Paul also said to the Ephesians, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church [assembly] and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church [assembly] in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27 NASB).

Christ's work is both finished and unfinished. Christians today stand between “It is finished” (John 19:30 NASB) and “It is done” (Rev. 21:6 NASB). In regeneration, the Christian is predestined to be “protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Pet. 1:5 NASB), because God never starts something that He does not complete (Phil. 1:6 NASB). However, the body of the born-again person remains unchanged, but the body is subject to the hidden man of the heart. Peter said, “And let not your adornment be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (I Pet. 3:3, 4 NASB). Adornment should be that which is becoming for Christians. It should never feed the lust of a man's appetite for sin or prick one's conscience. The beauty of grace should never be hidden beneath a veneer of worldliness. There should be attractiveness without distraction. Peter was not saying “no gold.” If that were true, then he was also saying “no clothing.” Peter was not giving an absolute prohibition, but he was emphasizing that precedence should be given to higher things. Christians are to observe their chaste and respectful behavior. It has been said that what people love most, that they are.

In this life, believers groan and travail in pain waiting for the redemption of the body. The present body of the believer is mortal (II Cor. 4:11), humble (lowly) (Phil. 3:21), and subject to death (Gen. 3:19; Heb. 9:27). It will remain either mortal or in a state of humiliation until it becomes immortal or glorified. Do not think that the Christian is being gradually glorified any more than he was gradually regenerated. Both regeneration and glorification are instantaneous.

Copyright ã   2003

This sermon has been written, preached and copyrighted by W. E. Best. While the author retains his copyright to this material, you are invited to copy the sermons or portions of them for your use. But you are specifically forbidden from changing any of the material and from selling it for any financial recompense.  We do not charge for getting out God's Word and we will not support others who do so.